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Cuisine in Melaka

PRICES AND RENTALS OF HERITAGE SHOPHOUSES RISE IN HISTORIC MELAKA

9th. October 2012

Since the announcement of Malacca and Georgetown as World Heritage Cities in 2008, both cities have seen a rise of local and foreign tourists arrivals. Melaka has seen tourists arrival increase from 8 million in 2008 to about an estimate of 13 million visitors in 2012 or about 15% increase year on year basis. These arrivals have helped Melaka and Malaccans economically and tourism is regarded as one of major source of income despite her small population. Malaccans cannot deny that fact tourism has benefitted them.

With Melaka being world recognised as a heritage city, property prices and rentals within the Heritage city areas have jumped by 30%. Within the Jonker street and Heeren street, heritage freehold shophouses prices are now being offered between 3 to 5 Million which are unheard of previously. Foreigners especially Singaporeans and Australians consider these prices as cheap in relative terms to the exchange rates. Singaporeans in particular are buying up these properties as investments since Melaka is just 3.5 hours drive away from Singapore.

At the same time, property owners within Melaka are also asking for higher rentals for businesses. Some businessmen from KL are also coming in to invest in properties and businesses as they see the potential of Melaka as a popular tourist destination. Similar trends are also seen in Georgetown, Penang.

New developments in international brands and boutique hotels are being constructed in Melaka and shopping malls are being built on reclaimed land around Bandar Hilir and Klebang. Hopefully, with the construction of new roads such as the coastal road at Klebang and expansion of the Ayer Keroh highway (construction of flyovers at strategic interchanges) will held weekend traffic jams.

Melaka Historical City council should undertake and develop a masterplan so that Melaka can benefit from this in years ahead.

Categories
Cuisine in Melaka

SAN DUO TEMPLE IN MELAKA

Ancient Malacca temple hopes to be marked on tourist map

Huge incense burner (left), placed at the spot since 1892, at the 200-year-old ancient San Duo Temple in Malacca. (Right) Stela to record every rebuild period of the temple.

Sin Chew Daily/Asia News Network
Friday, Mar 30, 2012
MALACCA – The Jalan Tokong Besi in Chinatown of Malacca is also known as Harmony Street, as worship places of three religions are located peacefully along the same street. Among them is 200-year-old ancient San Duo Temple.

The street also symbolises the harmonious coexistence of Buddhism, Taoism, Islamism and Hinduism in Malaysia.

The San Duo Temple is seldom mentioned due to the lack of propaganda. However, visitors always being impressed by the temple’s rich historical heritage. Therefore, the Malacca Kwang Tung Huay Kuan entrusted to manage the temple hopes that the temple can be included in the Malacca tourist map.

The San Duo Temple has 217 years of history and was formally called the Qing Long Hui when it was built in 1795. It was later renamed as the San Duo Temple after the expansion was completed in 1857.

Many utensils in the temple, including incense burners and plaques, are originated from the Chinese Manchu Dynasty and being placed at the temple in 1891. The entrusted body also spent thousands of ringgit last year to repair relics in the temple.

(Left) “The 18th years of the Guangxu Empire” is clearly engraved on the beam. (Right) Ancient plaques hung on a wall of the temple’s main hall shine after being repaired in recent years.
Malacca Kwang Tung Huay Kuan director Huang Da Wen said that the association hopes that the temple can be officially recognised as a tourist attraction to further promote the temple’s characteristics and historical values.

He said that many tourists who passed by the Jalan Tokong Besi had been impressed by the ancient temple.

He also said that many century-old historical relics in the temple are priceless tourist attractions and if the government attaches importance to the temple and help to promote, it can help the association to strengthen maintenance and improve management of the temple’s affairs.

He added that the maintenance of the temple relies on donations from worshipers and the association’s assistence. Under a great financial pressure, the temple hold a chingay every two years.

(From left) The ancient bell originated from the 17th year of the Guangxu Empire is a precious historical treasure; historical utensils and a 155-year-old stele in the temple.
San Duo temple executive secretary Li Jin Long said that as the Jalan Tukang Besi has become more and more popular, the number of the temple’s visitors have also increased. Therefore, if the government puts the temple on the tourist map, it is believed to attract more tourists.

He said that visitors are always surprised and impressed by the Chinese Manchu Dynasty utensils in the temple.

“No matter how expensive the cost is, we will still try to protect these historical items, including repairing plaques, columns and beams damaged by termites,” he added.

Categories
Tourism Malaysia

World Press Photo 2011

January 6, 2012 at 2:00 pm

What first started out as a national competition became an international annual event when members of the Dutch photojournalists’ union came up with the idea back in 1955. Ever since that first competition, the people at Nederlandse Vereniging van Fotojournalisten (NVF) have always displayed the winning pictures in an exhibition. At first there were only over 300 photographs sent in by 42 photographers from 11 countries that were submitted for the competition. Over the years, these numbers have increased tremendously, as evident with the record number of images received for the competition in 2011 – a whopping 108, 059 images taken by 5,691 photographers from 125 countries including Malaysia.

London. U.K. 30 September 2010. Julian Assange, Wikileaks founder becomes the focus of the international media here meeting the press after a panel discussion at City University London

Flood victims scramble for food as they battle the downwash from a Pakistan army helicopter during relief operations, Dadu, Pakistan, 13 September

This year, Malaysia is fortunate to be selected once again to host this unique, one-of-a-kind travelling exhibition that will be held from 30th January till 19th March 2012 at four different locations – Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Kota Kinabalu and Penang. Like the years before, visitors to this exhibition will be treated with the winning photographs that is bound to stop a person in their tracks and make its viewers think twice about the issue that is being highlighted. The range of topics that were covered by this year’s winners are simply amazing; from the earthquake in Haiti to the Madrid bullfights are a handful of the subjects represented among 2011?s award-winning crop.

So make it a point to come and visit the World Press Photo 11 exhibition at these locations and dates:-

Klang Valley
KLCC Convention Centre from 30th January till 12th February 2012

Malacca
Balai Seni Lukis Negara from 14th February till 23rd February 2012

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
1 Borneo Shopping Mall from 27th February till 8th March 2012

Penang
Penang Town Hall from 10th March till 19th March 2012

For more information about the exhibition, please log on to their website here.

Photos (c) Jodi Bieber, Institute for Artist Management/Goodman Gallery for Time magazine, Seamus Murphy, VII Photo Agency, Daniel Berehulak, Getty Images

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Categories
Cuisine in Melaka

MELAKA CELEBRATED 3rd ANNIVERSARY AS WORLD HERITAGE SITE

MALACCA: Malacca Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob, several other state dignitaries and some 3,000 people attended the third anniversary celebration of the declaration of Melaka City as World Heritage Site, held at the Independence Memorial in Bandar Hilir, here, last night.

The celebration this time took them back to the historic pre-independence days where in Febuary 1956, the people welcomed back the Malayan delegation seeking independence for the country led by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.

“The situation then and now, and the harmony and cooperation among the people of various races is a fine example in creating universal peace,” said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam in his speech at the event.

He said multiracial unity, peace, cooperation and tolerance had brought prosperity to Malaysia compared to the turbulent situation in some countries due to ethnic strife or sectarian violence.

“By preserving peace, prosperity and harmonious living will prevail which will help us create a stronger nation,” he added.

Malacca and George Town, Penang were declared World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) on July 7, 2008.

In conjunction with this year’s celebration, 42 events have been lined up for the whole month of July covering culture, arts and heritage.

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Cuisine in Melaka

MELAKA MUSIC FESTIVAL IN FUTURE?

TOURISM Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen was recently quoted as saying that her Ministry would assist Malacca to organise an international music festival with heritage as its inspiration.

Taking the cue from the runaway success of Sarawak’s World Rainforest Music Carnival (WRMC), I wish to applaud the move simply as a way to promote the tiny state’s Unesco World Heritage status.

However, the organiser must be cautioned that the intended music festival should be clearly defined and creatively expedited so as not to run off-track, as what the WRMC is facing now after many years of staging.

It recently concluded its 14th edition, bringing fame and tourism revenue to Sarawak and the country.

Sadly, the WRMC which was initially proposed to be an ethnic music gathering, using ethnic instruments, has slowly become like a rock concert spiced with folk songs.

Malacca should learn from the experience of Sarawak in defining its true objectives.

WRMC’s popularity as a world-class music carnival is mainly due to its aim of staging under one roof, a congregation of world ethnic music.

It is a perfect vehicle to position Sarawak and the rest of Borneo at large because of the strong ethnic presence against the backdrop of the world’s oldest rainforest.

Malacca, needs a booster to make known its Unesco World Heritage status, now entering its third year.

Malacca may be more famous than many of the states in terms of tourism but it still needs that wow factor.

So how can Malacca stage an international music festival that can stand on its originality and yet be successful in luring the tourists by the numbers?

Malacca’s cultural potpourri comprising various races and minority etnicities, provide the perfect setting for a music festival which can garner an international standing.

Already the three major races, comprising the Malays, Chinese and Indians are a sight to behold, what more with their sounds of music.

To top it up, the Kadazans, the Ibans, the orang asli, the Javanese and Arabs, the Babas and Nyonyas, not forgetting the Portuguese and the Dutch, the Punjabis as well with their own brand of ethnic music.

Together with some international guests, the stage is set for an event listing on the country’s tourism calendar.

We are certainly not short of tourism products that can woo visitors to our shores.

However, let’s make sure that every state has its own unique product to show its true colours to the world.

ZARI MALAYSIANA,
Petaling Jaya.